Magnesium is magical!✨
But did you know that the majority of us (up to 80%) are deficient?🤭
Magnesium is an essential micronutrient involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body.⚡️There is a rise in magnesium deficiency due to poor diet (lack of leafy greens and unrefined grains), issues absorbing nutrients in the gut, medication use, decreased magnesium in foods from soil depletions, increased stress causing our body to use up more magnesium, and the increased use of calcium supplementation disrupting calcium-magnesium balance.
Key Roles of Magnesium 🔑
• energy production
• muscle relaxation and formation
• bone formation and calcium balance
• regulation of the nervous system, brain health and mood
• production of thyroid hormones and activation of vitamin D
• regulation of heart rhythm, blood pressure and blood sugar via insulin
Magnesium deficiency can contribute to👇🏼
• muscle tension, twitches and pain, restless legs
• headaches, migraines
• fatigue, poor sleep
• mood instability, anxiety, depression
• PMS, menstrual cramps
• osteoporosis, calcifications
• heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, irregular heart beats
• neurological and neurodegenerative conditions
• constipation
• asthma
Some Food Sources of Magnesium 🥑🥦🍫
• avocado, dark leafy greens (spinach, swiss chard, kale, rapini), broccoli, nuts and seeds, cacao (in dark chocolate), beans, quinoa, buckwheat, salmon
Supplementation of magnesium should be considered as it is difficult to obtain adequate amounts from diet alone. 🍽 Supplements should never replace a healthy whole foods diet but sometimes they can be beneficial, easier or just necessary for results! Note: only 1-2% of the body’s magnesium is stored in the blood so testing blood levels has not been shown to be an accurate reflection of magnesium status.
Speak to your Naturopathic Doctor about dosing and finding the right biochemical form for your individual needs. 💊 Not all magnesium supps are created equal!
Sources: De Baaij, J., Hoenderop, J., & Bindels, R. (2015). Magnesium in Man: Implications for Health and Disease. Physiological Reviews, 95(1), 1-46. Gröber, U., Schmidt, J., & Kisters, K. (2015). Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy. Nutrients, 7(9), 8199-8226. Killilea, D., & Ames, B. (2008). Magnesium deficiency accelerates cellular senescence in cultured human fibroblasts. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, 105(15), 5768-5773. Rosanoff, A., Weaver, C., & Rude, R. (2012). Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated?. Nutrition Reviews, 70(3), 153-164